Waist Pain During Pregnancy

You may be surprised to know that almost fifty percent, if not more, pregnant women experience waist pain. The pain starts from the waist area and often moves down to the buttocks and the legs. It can be experienced at any stage of pregnancy but intensifies the most in the third trimester. If the pain is mild then it can be tolerable. However, when waist pain turns severe, then it interferes with the normal activities of daily life. At times, it may disrupt one's night sleep as well.

Causes

There are several factors that can trigger waist pain during pregnancy. A few of the most commonly found factors are as follows:

Hormonal Changes
There are certain hormones which are released during pregnancy which have a relaxing effect on the muscles, ligaments and joints of the body. The main purpose of these hormones is to prepare the body for childbirth. As a result, the muscle tissues and ligaments that provide support to the back, loosen up and get stretched excessively. This gives rise to waist and hip pain.

Growing Uterus
The body structure of a pregnant woman undergoes a lot of change which, in turn, causes waist pain. Growing uterus is one such change that stretches out the abdominal muscles forward that puts additional strain on the waist area inducing pain. If the increased size of the uterus exerts pressure on any nerve, then also, pain can be felt.

Poor Posture
With the increase in body weight, the center of gravity shifts, and the stomach muscles are pushed forward. This leads to change in posture. As a result, movements like sitting, walking, bending make the waist muscles fatigued and unstable. So, if you do these movements too many times, with an awkward posture, then you will start feeling muscle pain in the waist.

Other Causes
The body weight of an expecting mother can go up to one-fourth her usual body weight. This sudden weight gain puts extra load on the lower back muscles, thigh muscles and other such weight bearing structures of the body, and causes waist and back pain during pregnancy. Mental stress is a factor, which is often overlooked, and can be responsible for causing waist pain. Anxiety and stress make the muscles of the body stiff and when they have to bear extra load, then pain is felt.

Relief Techniques

Expectant mothers can get relief from waist pain by making a few adjustments, and using some simple home remedies. They are as follows:

• Minimize your activities. That does not mean that you have to rest throughout the day. Avoid any such activities that aggravates the pain. Do not overdo activities like walking, bending, as they cause muscle fatigue. In other words, make sure you do not overstretch your muscles beyond their capacity.
• Apply heat for an instant soothing effect on the pain. This can be done by application of warm water bottle or warm towel. A warm bath can also provide the same kind of effect.
• Many women find prenatal massages highly beneficial for relieving this kind of pain. It can loosen tense muscles, and bring down the pain. However, massage should be done by a trained therapist only.
• Regular exercises can add strength and flexibility to the muscles of the pelvic area. This will bring about improvement in the mobility of the body. However, pregnancy exercises should always be done under the guidance of a physical therapist. Swimming is one such exercise that helps ease the pain to a great extent.
• Take suitable measure to give more support to the back during sleeping at night. Lie on your left with side, with one of the knees in a bent position. Place a pillow in between the knees and another under the belly. Thus you can ease off a large amount of pressure from the waist and hip area.
• Relax your mind. Practice prenatal yoga or any other relaxation techniques to keep your mind free from stress. If any emotional problem is bothering you too much, do not hesitate to take the help from a counselor.

Waist pain during pregnancy can be prevented to some extent with some remedial measures. While standing, maintain a good posture so that the lower back region is not under much strain. While sitting, try to keep the feet in an elevated position. Do not wear high-heeled shoes during pregnancy. Calcium and magnesium rich diet also helps to keep the pain in check. Even though waist pain is a common occurrence, if you are suffering from it, you must inform your doctor about it.